Concept of anthropology

Anthropology is the study of the origin and development of human societies

and cultures. Culture is the learned behavior of people, including their languages, belief

systems, social structures, institutions, and material goods. Anthropologists study

the characteristics of past and present human communities through a variety of techniques. In

doing so, they investigate and describe how different peoples of our world lived throughout

history. Anthropologists aim to study and present their human subjects in a clear and

unbiased way. They attempt to achieve this by observing subjects in their local environment.

Anthropologists then describe interactions and customs, a process known as ethnography. By

participating in the everyday life of their subjects, anthropologists can better understand and

explain the purpose of local institutions, culture, and practices. This process is known

as participant-observation. As anthropologists study societies and cultures different from their

own, they must evaluate their interpretations to make sure they aren’t biased. This bias is

known as ethnocentrism, or the habit of viewing all groups as inferior to another, usually

their own, cultural group.

Taken as a whole, these steps enable anthropologists to describe people through the people's

own terms. Anthropology is the study of what makes us human. Anthropologists take a broad

approach to understanding the many different aspects of the human experience, which we call

holism. They consider the past, through archaeology, to see how human groups lived

hundreds or thousands of years ago and what was important to them. They consider what

makes up our biological bodies and genetics, as well as our bones, diet, and health.

Anthropologists also compare humans with other animals (most often, other primates like

monkeys and chimpanzees) to see what we have in common with them and what makes us

unique. Even though nearly all humans need the same things to survive, like food, water, and
companionship, the ways people meet these needs can be very different. For example,

everyone needs to eat, but people eat different foods and get food in different ways. So

anthropologists look at how different groups of people get food, prepare it, and share it.

World hunger is not a problem of production but social barriers to distribution, and that

Amartya Sen won a Nobel Prize for showing this was the case for all of the 20th century’s

famines. Anthropologists also try to understand how people interact in social relationships

(for example with families and friends). They look at the different ways people dress and

communicate in different societies. Anthropologists sometimes use these comparisons to

understand their own society. Many anthropologists work in their own societies looking at

economics, health, education, law, and policy (to name just a few topics). When trying to

understand these complex issues, they keep in mind what they know about biology, culture,

types of communication, and how humans lived in the past.

The Four Subfields of anthropology

Anthropology is generally divided into four subfields. Each of the subfields teaches

distinctive skills. However, the subfields also have a number of similarities. For example,

each subfield applies theories, employs systematic research methodologies, formulates and

tests hypotheses, and develops extensive sets of data.

Archaeology

Archaeologists study human culture by analyzing the objects people have made. They

carefully remove from the ground such things as pottery and tools, and they map the locations

of houses, trash pits, and burials in order to learn about the daily lives of a people. They also

analyze human bones and teeth to gain information on a people’s diet and the diseases they

suffered. Archaeologists collect the remains of plants, animals, and soils from the places

where people have lived in order to understand how people used and changed their natural
environments. The time range for archaeological research begins with the earliest human

ancestors millions of years ago and extends all the way up to the present day. Like other areas

of anthropology, archaeologists are concerned with explaining differences and similarities in

human societies across space and time.

Biological Anthropology

Biological anthropologists seek to understand how humans adapt to different environments,

what causes disease and early death, and how humans evolved from other animals. To do

this, they study humans (living and dead), other primates such as monkeys and apes, and

human ancestors (fossils). They are also interested in how biology and culture work together

to shape our lives. They are interested in explaining the similarities and differences that are

found among humans across the world. Through this work, biological anthropologists have

shown that, while humans do vary in their biology and behavior, they are more similar to one

another than different.

Cultural Anthropology

Sociocultural anthropologists explore how people in different places live and understand the

world around them. They want to know what people think is important and the rules they

make about how they should interact with one another. Even within one country or society,

people may disagree about how they should speak, dress, eat, or treat others. Anthropologists

want to listen to all voices and viewpoints in order to understand how societies vary and what

they have in common. Sociocultural anthropologists often find that the best way to learn

about diverse peoples and cultures is to spend time living among them. They try to

understand the perspectives, practices, and social organization of other groups whose values

and lifeways may be very different from their own. The knowledge they gain can enrich

human understanding on a broader level.

Linguistic Anthropology

Linguistic anthropologists study the many ways people communicate across the globe. They

are interested in how language is linked to how we see the world and how we relate to each

other. This can mean looking at how language works in all its different forms, and how it

changes over time. It also means looking at what we believe about language and

communication, and how we use language in our lives. This includes the ways we use

language to build and share meaning, to form or change identities, and to make or change

relations of power. For linguistic anthropologists, language and communication are keys to

how we make society and culture.